terrestrial
adjective
-ˈres-chəl
Did you know?
Terrestrial might be a pretty down-to-earth word, but some of its relatives are out of this world. "Terrestrial" first appeared in English in the 15th century and derives from the Latin root terra, which means "earth." In the mid-1800s "extra-" was added to "terrestrial," giving us "extraterrestrial," an adjective that can be used to describe things (including science fiction creatures) that come from space. "Terrestrial" shares the "-al" suffix with "celestial," which was first used in the 14th century. Not surprisingly, "celestial" ("of or relating to the sky or visible heavens") traces back to the Latin for sky, "caelum."
Examples of terrestrial in a Sentence
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 June 2026
The remaining planetesimals that did not form into the terrestrial planets are the asteroids of today, left to orbit the inner portion of the solar system.
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Adam Lark,
Scientific American,
28 June 2026
Underneath it all, hyperscalers are pouring capital into subsea cables and terrestrial fiber on a scale historically reserved for telcos.
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Anthony Lobretto,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
They are thought to be one of the first vertebrates that made a partial transition from an aquatic to a terrestrial lifestyle.
—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrestrial
Cite this Entry
“Terrestrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrestrial. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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terrestrial
adjective
-ˈres-chəl
